On Wednesday, Nov. 5, North Colonie Central Schools held its Annual Veterans Day Celebration and honored eight local veterans with the North Colonie Patriot Award. Alan Atwell, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, speaks at the Veterans Celebration

Honored this year were:

Allan Atwell

William F. Parker

John Pemrick Lewis

Louis Picarazzi

Francis Currey

Edward Skeals

Wesley P. Snyder

John Tomaro

Every year since 2002, Shaker High School Social Studies teacher Daniel Weaver and the World of Difference Club have paid homage to our country’s veterans by holding a Veterans Day celebration.

This year’s featured presentation featured “Honoring the Greatest Generation ~ D-Day and Battle of the Bulge” by Frank DeSorbo, president of the D-Day Revisited Association, and an emotional retelling of the experience by Battle of the Bulge veteran Allan Atwell.

Other ways to honor our veterans

North Colonie Veterans Memorial

In the fall of 2010, Shaker High School art teacher Paul B. Aubin came up with a design plan for the North Colonie Veterans Memorial. Mr. Aubin views the project as “an opportunity to express some of my gratitude for the dedicated soldier.” He and selected students will create a series of panels depicting the history of the United States and the contributions of the brave men and women who have selflessly served our nation. When assembled, these panels will become a sculptural timeline, allowing members of the North Colonie community a means to reflect and honor our veterans, past, present, and future.

The project is moving forward, but the timeline has been modified. The target date is November 2016. Check the Memorial’s website for further updates and to make a donation to the memorial.

Operation: North Colonie Cares

The Shaker High School World of Difference Club is collecting items for Blue Star Mothers and they need your help.

The goal of Blue Star Mothers is to provide support members of the military, veterans, and military families. They are a 501(c)3 Congressionally chartered veterans service organization and are strictly non-political and non-partisan.

Please consider donating – and encourage others to do so – some items. You can make a world of difference in a soldier’s life!

Club M@SH (Military Appreciation at Shaker High)

M@SH stands for Military Appreciation at Shaker High. The goal is to raise awareness of supporting our military: past, present, and future, and getting fellow students actively involved in the community. This involvement includes setting up pen-pals with soldiers stationed both domestic and overseas and greeting soldiers as they return home through the Albany International Airport, as well as attending Honor Flights and Patriot Flights where we can support World War II, Vietnam, and Korean War veterans departing to visit national memorials in Washington, D.C.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Dan Weaver at Shaker High School.